Childhood Growth Measurement January 2012
Why a focus on growth measurement? accurate and reliable measurements are fundamental to growth monitoring if measurements are in error, then the foundation of the growth assessment is also in error erroneous or missing measurements lead to: incorrect interpretation of growth patterns missed or unnecessary referrals 2
Errors in Length Measurements Case Example Weight - for - length 10mo boy had been growing g along 25 th % weight-for- length, 10 th % weight-for-age and 10 th % length- for - age Last 2 length measurement errors Result in wt-for-length dropping to 3%ile Unnecessary referral 3
How are we doing? Provincial AHS survey Areas for Improvement 57% indicated staff receive growth measurement training 52% indicated inpatients measured upon admission Area of Strength 96% indicated outpatients were measured at clinic visits 4
Childhood Growth Measurement Protocol 5
Components of accurate measuring quality equipment that is calibrated and accurate a standardized measurement technique trained measurers who are reliable and precise in their techniquee 6
General guidelines for measuring follow procedures and maintain/calibrate equipment explain procedures to caregiver and child use sensitive language let s check your weight respect personal, religious, cultural perspectives respect the need for privacy place equipment on a hard, stable, even surface record measurements immediately repeat measurements if needed 7
Measurements and equipment Infants Birth to 24 months of age Measure: weight <20kg length head circumference Equipment to be used: beam or electronic Infant scale infant length board or infantometer head circumference tape 8
Measure Weight Birth to 24 months weight infant nude put paper barrier in place and zero scale place infant in middle of the scale measure and record to the nearest 0.001 or 0.01 kg 9
Modified measurement technique weigh the infant being held on a standing scale Insert picture subtract the weight of the person holding the child from their combined weight record the measurement to the nearest 0.1 kg 10
Measure Length cover the length board with a paper barrier place infant on back in centre of length board Positioning Head head against headboard eyes looking straight up chin not tucked or stretched 11
Measure Length measure and record to nearest 0.1 cm Positioning Legs align trunk and legs extend both legs (keep knees down) with toes pointed up bring footboard against the heels 12
Modified Measurement Technique <24 months age and not able to measure in recumbent position: measure standing height Equipment to be used: stadiometer add 0.7 cm to convert it to length record to the nearest 0.1cm 13
Measure Head Circumference remove hair accessories and place infant on lap or flat surface tape measure above the eyebrows and ears and around the prominent part on the back of the head pull the tape snugly gy to compress the hair measure and record to the nearest 0.1 cm 14
Measurements and equipment Children 2 to 19 years of age Measure: Equipment to be used: weight beam balance or child and adolescent (Adult) electronic scale height stadiometer 15
Measure weight- 2-19 years of age put paper barrier in place and d zero scale remove shoes, hats and other bulky items child should stand unassisted in the middle of the scale measure and record to the nearest 0.1 kg 16
Modified Measurement Technique Unable to Stand Unassisted: 20 kg 20 kg Alternate Equipment: infant scale child and adolescent scale for tare weight sit-down, wheelchair h scale 17
Measure Height- Positioning heels almost together, legs straight, arms at sides, and shoulders relaxed heels, buttocks, shoulders and head touching surface child looking straight ahead (Frankfort Horizontal Plane) 18
Measure Height move the headpiece down to touch the crown of the head view the measurement with eyes parallel to the headpiece measure to the nearest 0.1 cm and record 19
Modified Measurement Technique Child cannot stand unassisted: measure length on a recumbent length board subtract 0.7cm to convert it to height record to the nearest 0.1cm Alternate Equipment: recumbent length board 20
Special Considerations length/ height measures Obesity - aim for at least 2 points of contact Leg Asymmetry - stand on longer leg with shorter leg supported Cultural Headpiece topknot - measure to the side of the topknot turban - upper arm length with equation Physical Disabilities recumbent length board upper arm length with equation 21
Upper Arm Length (UAL) - Measurement arm at 90 o, palm up mark the acromion process measure to the olecronon process record UAL to the nearest 0.1cm 22
Upper Arm Length - Calculation Calculate: Standing height = (4.35 X UAL cm) + 21.8 If 10yr 6mo girl has an UAL measure of 30.5 cm Standing Height= = (4.35 x 30.5 cm) + 21.8 = 154.5 cm This plots on the 97%ile for height-for-age. Plot: 23
How often should we measure? Weight Length Inpatients Measure and Plot At admission and, *Prems daily < 2 yrs 3 x / wk >2yrs2x/wk 2 *Prems weekly Other q 3 months Ambulatory Measure and Plot at each clinic visit, or as per clinic protocol Head *Prems weekly 0-2 mo monthly Circumference Other monthly 2-6 mo q 2 months 6-24 mo q 3 months *once growth expectations are met, measure/ weight based on age 24
AHS Resources Protocol: Childhood Growth Measurement - Public Health and Clinical settings specifications for purchasing equipment maintenance and calibration guidelines contact t site clinical i l engineering i or facilities training resources (module and videos) growth measurement posters http:///cgm.asp p 25
References Sermet-Gaudelus I, Poisson-Salomon A, Colomb V et al. Simple pediatric nutritional risk score to identify children at risk of malnutrition. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72:64-70. Pawellek e I, Dokoupil oup K, Koletzko o B. Prevalence e of malnutrition t in paediatric at hospital patients. ts Clin Nutr. 2008; 27:72-6. Rocha GA, Rocha EJM, Martins CV. The effects of hospitalization on the nutritional status of children. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2006;82:70-4. Dietitians of Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Community Health Nurses of Canada. Promoting optimal monitoring of child growth in Canada: using the new WHO growth charts [collaborative statement on the Internet ]. 2010 [cited 2011 Jan 6]. Available from: http://www.cps.ca/english/statements/n/growth-charts-statement-full.pdf. p g p Dietitians of Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Community Health Nurses of Canada. A Health professional's guide for using the new WHO growth charts [document on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2011 Jan 6]. Available from: http://www.dietitians.ca/downloadable- Content/Public/DC_HealthProGrowthGuideE.aspx. aspx 26
References (cont d) United States Department of Health and Human Services, Human Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Growth charts training: accurately weighing and measuring infants, children and adolescents: equipment [training module on the Internet]. [cited 2010 Nov 16]. Available from: http://depts.washington.edu/growth/index.htm. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Human Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Growth charts training: accurately weighing and measuring infants, children and adolescents: technique [training module on the Internet]. [cited 2011 Jan 6]. Available from: http://depts.washington.edu/growth/index.htm. Runge, W. Infection Control Professional, Calgary Urban Community Infection Prevention and Control, Calgary Area. Personal communication. 2011 Jan 18. Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee. Best practices for environmental cleaning for prevention and control of infections in all health care settings. December 8, 2009. [cited 2011 Feb 17]. Available from: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/program/infectious/diseases/best_prac/bp_enviro_clean.pdf 27
References (cont d) Alberta Health Services. Infection prevention & control practice recommendations seasonal influenza. Source control to prevent transmission of influenza-like illness in emergency departments, Urgent Care Centres, Acute Assessment Centres and Ambulatory Clinics [practice recommendations on the Internet]. 2010 Oct 12 [cited 2011 Jan 26]; Reference: 01-004.. Available from: http:///diseases/hi-dis-flusource-ctrl-prevent-trans.pdf. World Health Organization. Training course on child growth assessment: interpreting growth indicators [training module on the Internet]. 2008 [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.who.int/childgrowth/training/en/. Foote JM, Brady LH, Burke AL, Cook JS, Dutcher ME, Gradoville KM, et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline on linear growth measurement of children. Des Moines (IA): Blank Children's Hospital; 2009:29 Stevenson RD. Use of segmental measures to estimate stature in children with cerebral palsy. Arch Pediatr Adolesc. Med. 1995. Jun; 149(6):658-62. Maqbool A, Olsen IE, Stallings VA. Nutrition in pediatrics. 4th ed. Hamilton (ON): BC Decker Inc; 2008.Chapter 2, Clinical assessment of nutritional status; p.6 13. Sperling, M. Pediatric i Endocrinology. Philadelphia, l PA: Saunders/Elsevier, 2008. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9781416040903>. Pages 254-334 28